and will imperil the existence of the Union.  With this solemn warning he closed his speech, and immediately left Washington for Boston, where his daughter, Mrs. Appleton, was sinking in consumption.  She died on April 28th and was buried on May 1st.  Three days later, Mr. Webster followed to the grave the body of his son Edward, which had been brought from Mexico.  Two such terrible blows, coming so near together, need no comment.  They tell their own sad story.  One child only remained to him of all who had gathered about his knees in the happy days at Portsmouth and Boston, and his mind turned to thoughts of death as he prepared at Marshfield a final resting-place for himself and those he had loved.  Whatever successes or defeats were still in store for him, the heavy cloud of domestic sorrow could never be dispersed in the years that remained, nor could the gaps which had been made be filled or forgotten.

But the sting of personal disappointment and of frustrated ambition, trivial enough in comparison with such griefs as these, was now added to this heavy burden of domestic affliction.  The success of General Taylor in Mexico rendered him a most tempting candidate for the Whigs to nominate.  His military services and his personal popularity promised victory, and the fact that no one knew Taylor’s political principles, or even whether he was a Whig or a Democrat, seemed rather to increase than diminish his attractions in the eyes of the politicians.  A movement was set on foot to bring about this nomination, and its managers planned to make Mr. Webster Vice-President on the ticket with the victorious soldier.  Such an offer was a melancholy commentary on his ambitious hopes.  He spurned the proposition as a personal indignity, and, disapproving always of the selection of military men for the presidency, openly refused to give his assent to Taylor’s nomination.  Other trials, however, were still in store for him.  Mr. Clay was a candidate for the nomination, and many Whigs, feeling that his success meant another party defeat, turned to Taylor as the only instrument to prevent this danger.  In February, 1848, a call was issued in New York for a public meeting to advance General Taylor’s candidacy, which was signed by many of Mr. Webster’s personal and political friends.  Mr. Webster was surprised and grieved, and bitterly resented this action.  His biographer, Mr. Curtis, speaks of it as a blunder which rendered Mr. Webster’s nomination hopeless.  The truth is, that it was a most significant illustration of the utter futility of Mr. Webster’s presidential aspirations.  These friends in New York, who no doubt honestly desired his nomination, were so well satisfied that it was perfectly impracticable, that they turned to General Taylor to avoid the disaster threatened, as they believed, by Mr. Clay’s success.  Mr. Webster predicted truly that Clay and Taylor would be the leading candidates before the convention, but he was wholly mistaken